#ThereIsHope

photo taken by Joel Cervantes Macias in Little Village, New York

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope

— Martin Luther King Jr.

What a perfect title, apropos caption. Especially in the midst of America's mayhem election. The ugly side of humanity has reared it's ugly head in such a brutal fashion. How embarrassing. Social media has spawned into disgusting filth, raging rants, and doomsday fear. People are acting crazy. And just when you think they have reached the bottom of craziness. There's a crazy underground garage. i find myself over here sippin' fine wine, watching the shit show go down, holding on to, wait for it... Hope. There is always hope.

I'm anticipating most of you remember the epic picture above & heartfelt story. If not. It's ok. Not all of us have time to keep up with current events. Sadly, this mud-slinging election has taken over our lives the past year trumping most new's worthy stories. (no pun intended. well, maybe a little. wink.) It's worth revisiting. Why? Because the alternative pictures taking over mainstream media stirs rage among many, myself included. It's hard not getting caught up in all the drama. It's been our Drama for over a year now. Both sides passionately convicted. I'm all about living with passion; it's actually tattooed on my arm. I'm not about defiance and judgement. It's time for our great country to heal. It's sickening to see the American flag burning at the hands of fellow Americans. On the flip side, confederate flags have been reintroduced into society as a right of passage for America's rebirth. vomit. What in the world is going on? Both sides of this coin need to STOP. Now. We have lost sight of what is truly important, each other. I came across this beautiful picture again, and I couldn't help but pause. It puts life into perspective. It stirs your soul. This picture exemplifies love & compassion. It gives us HOPE. It captures a glimpse of hard work. A glimpse of integrity & determination. The American dream. The American dream in full force. Proof that humanity is NOT lost. A picture is worth a thousand words; it doesn't need any explanation. A picture can take you to a different place beyond our "humanness". Beyond our skewed opinions, beyond our judgments, beyond our attachments and triggers. A picture captures the pure essence of that which is being photographed. The uninterrupted beauty. The pure innocence of Life. Thank you God. There is still Hope. There is still hope in human decency. As the story broke about an 89 year old, Fidencio Sanchez, the World as we know it, stopped. Again, thank you God. We all needed a break. A break from all the hate, accusations, judgment, politics, racism, religion, and human brutality, all stopped. For a small, perfect moment in time. smile.

This post isn't about ranting & raving or boasting & celebrating. Rather about Perspective. Maybe a different perspective other than your own. Until we come to the realization that all people are different and it's these differences that make our country great, we can move forward. God willing. We are the leaders. The world is looking to us to lead the way. People are willing to die for freedom. It's happening all around us. Yet, we are too consumed with anger over the outcome of the election or boastful pride. We have forgotten how tograciously lose or graciously win. There are truly people in this world who love and accept others who voted for Donald Trump. I just happen to be one of them. gasp. You can call me a #HopeHippie. Numerous people were deeply confused how & why I would have ever voted for Trump. That's the beauty of the human spirit. We all have our convictions and reasons why we voted the way we did. Until we can move past the labels we place upon others, and exercise acceptance and tolerance, we will remain stuck. And angry. Sadly, racism, narcissism, fear, and hate have been around since Adam and Eve. (yes, i just went there) It's true. Unfortunately, this election has lifted the veil of society and all her ugliness. Ridiculous and cruel behavior has erupted masked as an unfair injustice to mankind. No. There has been NO injustice. There has been an election. Democracy at its finest. The reaction of the losing team, depicted at its worse. The reaction of the winning team, depicted at its worse. This is not America. This is not what our forefathers intended. Yes, everyone has freedom of speech, and the right to protest. #Roar What exactly are you protesting? (cue record player screech) Oh yes, the protesting regarding HATE for President elect Donald Trump. I'd have you consider half of Americans disagree. Defeat is not an injustice; it's a raw feeling. Venomous social media posts have taken over. #NotMyPresident is now trending. Newsflash- Trump is the president elect. Whether you agree or disagree, show some Respect. It is quite embarrassing. Show some respect for America, the greatest country in the World. Respect for difference of opinions. Respect for the oval office. and Yes, darling, Respect for the President of the United States, aka POTUS, both past and present. Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.

Never count your chickens before they hatch. Sadly, those chickens were counted by numerous Americans & celebrations started a tad bit too early, which greatly amplified the shocking defeat. Shame on you, mainstream media. I hope you are proud. #NeverSayNever. This lesson should have been noted after the Chicago Cubs recently beat all odds. Many assumed there was absolutely no way in hell Trump could ever pull off an upset. Checkmate. I truly believe this "shock" is the catalyst for all the outrageous behavior. There was no preparation really on either side for the outcome. It is extremely harder to endure a loss of any kind when losing wasn't an option or in the deck of cards to begin with. It stings more. It hurts more. The "Victory" and the "Win" is unfortunately amplified as well. Hence the catapulting of gun-loading, supremacist alphas coming out of the woodwork in droves. You all are obnoxious. Grow up. One wrong, never makes a right. Both sides have those acting outlandishly and both sides have those acting out of Love. Please remember that and choose the latter. Second Newsflash- We are all on the same team dammit. We just chose a different team captain. This is not Armageddon. We still want America to win. This rebellious hate must stop. Our children are watching. They are our future and our hope.

Speaking of parenting... for those parents who decided to inflict their own bias, fear and hate upon their children, shame on you. What a heavy burden for any child to carry. My three children experienced humility, grace, and compassion during this election process. My twelve year old was confused wondering why I had tears watching Hillary Clinton speak since I should have been elated that Trump won. "Because I'm genuinely sad. She was so close to becoming our first female president. My heart is breaking for her and many others. This has been a life-long dream. Watching numerous people anticipate the glass ceiling breaking and coming down, to no avail, was heart wrenching to see. So many people are upset, shocked, and heart broken. Many of them, my friends, of course I'm saddened." Amelia then teared up as well. Compassion is taught. Remember that. #Parenting101

On the flip side, we unfortunately have this...

“It’s hard to be a parent tonight for a lot of us. You tell your kids don’t be a bully. You tell your kids don’t be a bigot... and then you have this outcome. This was a whitelash.” CNN Van Jones

The soap box is out & dusted, sorry. Whitelash? Seriously?! A term used to describe the high turnout of white voters to vent their anger at Hollywood, Wall Street, and wealthy folks. It's a play of words on the term backlash. haha. Van Jones needs his mouth washed out with soap. There are only two options here. Be a part of the solution, or a part of the problem. Van Jones tears and outrage cannot be justified; his statement is hypocritical. You can't talk out of both sides of your mouth Mr. Jones. Declaring you don't want your children to be bullies yet in the same breath spewing hate and blame to the "white folk" is stupidity at its finest. Until we as grown up adults understand our actions and words hold great power, we can cautiously choose our words understanding the ramifications. How about we as a society teach our children through example. Teach them to think for themselves. Teach them to gather as much information as possible before making an executive decision. Teach them to understand there are two sides to every story & the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Teach them not to believe everything they hear & to always ask questions, even if they are hard. Teach our children to be kind and understanding. What a better place our World would be. #CrowdRoarsEvery American had the opportunity to vote. If you don't like the electoral college system, then do something productive to CHANGE it. Quit rioting out of anger destroying our cities. Turn your anger into productive change. Last time I checked, Trump hasn't been sworn into office nor had a chance to prove or disprove his new POTUS title, let alone, any of the harsh accusations being thrown his way. Trump has been a registered Democrat a lot longer than a registered Republican. In fact, the most liberal Republican ever on a ballot. There is Hope. I promise. I guarantee we will all be pleasantly surprised. It's time for us to give others the benefit of the doubt. If not Trump the benefit of doubt, because he's #NotMyPresident, how about you give the other 59,668,724 million fellow Americans who thought and voted differently than you, the benefit of doubt? See... Silver-lining.Always look for it, always

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.

We need to accept defeat with a little bit of grace and humility. Until Trump revokes gay marriage, sends Hispanics back tearing up their loving families, overturns Roe vs. Wade, activates shock therapy to heal all gays, Chill out. Don't operate out of fear for the unknown. None of the above has happened. Breathe and have hope. It will be OK. We will be OK. When there is a reason to protest, then by all means let your voice be heard. These people throwingtantrums like a two year old in Walmart because their candidate did not win isn't becoming for anyone. I promise. Be the better friend and reach out to them. Give them a hug. Buy them a cup of coffee. Reiterate that there is hope. Be thankful we live in the United States of America verses any other country in the World. In the midst of all the political rhetoric, please remember this picture above and be thankful you have freedom. Where a single photograph can raise over $385,400 in only nine days from donations all around the World, in over 52 countries! We are the free world others look upon to lead the way. Take time to reflect upon the human spirit. No boundaries, no religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, social status, or any other labels can ever break the human spirit. This in it of itself shall give us HOPE. If your candidate lost. I am sorry. Sometime life throws you a curve ball (just ask the Cleveland Indians) Some have had their cake and eaten it too for 8 years. Be happy and thankful; that's a long time to eat cake. Actually it's hard not to be jealous, especially if it's wedding cake.

#RiseUp

Cupofjoewithjen

Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul- and sings the tunes without the words- and never stops at all. Hope lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality. To live without Hope is to cease to live.